[number1sixerfan]

How hard is it to find vinyl records? I listen to a lot of hip hop, r&b, oldies, and a little bit of jazz and alternative rock. I want to get into vinyl, but I am worried that there will not be enough music to satisfy me. I prefer not to hunt at garage sales and thrift shops. I rather find a record shop or two with a good selection. Are there online sites that you all use to buy records also? I'm looking at spending $700 for a nice entry setup w/technics 1210 as my TT.

 

[Dork Knight]

Have you had a look through Acoustic Sounds;
SACD, DVD Audio, Vinyl Record, Audiophile equipment - Acoustic Sounds

 

[nickknutson]

My brother-in-law audiophile keeps recommending me to go to estate sales, he said they're great places to find great vinyl.

 

[derekbmn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I prefer not to hunt at garage sales and thrift shops.

Why ??? It's part of the fun.

 

[bigshot]

The limitation when it comes to music isn't likely to be a problem with the vinyl format. There is an ocean of music on LPs. The only limitation is going to be your personal tastes. You've got to be able to understand and appreciate music older than twenty years to find value in vinyl.

If you want to buy records in stores, you had better live in a major metropolitan area and be willing to pay exorbitant prices. Selling vinyl retail is a losing proposition. 99% of the market for vinyl is flea markets and thrift stores.

Don't choose vinyl for the sound quality. Choose it for the value and the music.

See ya
Steve

 

[Uncle Erik]

You can find a lot of vinyl on eBay. However, the shipping isn't free and there is competition for the better records.

If there is a record store near you, you're going to be paying $12-$20 per disc and up. If you want the nice 180g pressings, those will run $30-$50, if not more.

Is there a reason you don't like thrift/junk stores? The people who run them trend strongly towards kind and friendly. If you don't like the indifferent clerk at Target, these people will take a few minutes to chat with you, take you in the back to show you stuff not on the floor, and will call you when stuff you like comes in. When something like a nifty old tube amp comes in, you might get first crack at it.

And the prices are considerably better. The other weekend, I picked up about 35 records for $20 total. I love the variety and never knowing what will turn up. If you keep an open mind, there's more good music on vinyl than you can listen to in a lifetime.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I like a bit of older music, so I think I am good in the area. I just don't like the idea of having to hunt all over the place for music. Now that I see Amazon also has thousands of records it is making me lean towards starting up. It will not be my only collection. I will still use flac for more recent music.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't choose vinyl for the sound quality. Choose it for the value and the music.

But, I value the music I already have via lossless compressions. I am looking for vinyl because I have read many post that state they are much more resolving than most cds. This is where I am slightly confused. Would a $700 vinyl setup sound better than if I used lossless with a $700 dac? I'm thinking yes, because it is the media that is improving the sound moreso than the equipment. Is this logic anywhere near correct?

 

[CarbonTi]

I had gotten back into playing vinyl LPs within the last year and asked the same question before deciding to reaquire a turntable rig.

Vinyl is not difficult to find and there is lots of it. Online places like Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct, Elusive Disc and Circuit City (online only not brick & mortar) for new releases is good but expensive. Used record shops is a far better place for discs that usually cost from $1 to $5 and you can inspect them before buying. e-Bay is very dicy and vendors seem to make shipping a profit item so total cost isn't cheap. If your success rate on e-Bay getting discs that are as described is better than 50%, IMHO you're way ahead. But sometimes when you are looking for some title or rarity on LP, e-Bay might be the only place it can be found - sometimes you take a roll of the dice to acquire the disc. This is all part of the game.

Before I decided to go ahead with vinyl I checked around for used record shops in the area, even went shopping to see for myself and I didn't even have a turntable yet. You don't have to live in a large metro area to find vinyl - I work in NYC and the isle of Manhattan is the worst place to look for or find vinyl. 35 miles southwest from midtown however is a different story.

So find at least 1 or 2 semi-reliable used record shops and you will be in good shape. Buy some new releases. Gamble on e-Bay once in a while. And keep your digital rig - some newer stuff just won't make it to vinyl.

 

[serpico]

I love vinyl too but own cd's as well. But to answer your question which is better, no one can answer that except your ears! You need great speakers or headphones as well as a great source. From everything I've read here and elsewhere, it all comes down to this. You can have the best set up, but if the headphones or speakers are lower quality, you won't enjoy either vinyl or cd.

New vinyl is such a rip. You will waste more money faster than reading head-fi! LOL I've purchased some newer vinyl but mostly cd's. They both have their sounds, and it really is up to you which you prefer listening to. If new vinyl was cheaper, I would buy more. I miss the big album covers and liner notes that came inside. Everything is smaller scale for cd's and it's not the same!

 

[appophylite]

Used Book/Music stores are an excellent place to look. I have one in my local town that sells vinyl at 25 cents a pop. I've picked up almost $4 worth of vinyl at this price.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by serpico /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love vinyl too but own cd's as well. But to answer your question which is better, no one can answer that except your ears! You need great speakers or headphones as well as a great source. From everything I've read here and elsewhere, it all comes down to this. You can have the best set up, but if the headphones or speakers are lower quality, you won't enjoy either vinyl or cd.

That's another thing, I already have great headphones and a nice headphone amp. Additionally, I have a nice set of home speakers made by NHT.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like a bit of older music, so I think I am good in the area. I just don't like the idea of having to hunt all over the place for music. Now that I see Amazon also has thousands of records it is making me lean towards starting up. It will not be my only collection. I will still use flac for more recent music.

You only have to hunt at first. Once you locate stores that deal in vinyl, give them your name and contact info. Ask them to call or e-mail when they get some vinyl in. They will, and will often put aside anything they know you want. Once you establish a relationship, it's the best.

Quote:

But, I value the music I already have via lossless compressions. I am looking for vinyl because I have read many post that state they are much more resolving than most cds. This is where I am slightly confused. Would a $700 vinyl setup sound better than if I used lossless with a $700 dac? I'm thinking yes, because it is the media that is improving the sound moreso than the equipment. Is this logic anywhere near correct?

Vinyl sounds different than digital, and it varies depending on your setup. I went into vinyl not looking at the sound quality compared to other sources, but as a means to getting music that is both inexpensive and not available on CD.

As for sound quality, you can tweak a turntable setup infinitely, so if you don't like something, there is usually a workaround or mod.

 

[crazyface]

A problem I've had with vinyl I've bought (online and at thrift stores/flea markets/garage sales) is that it simply hasn't been well taken care of, and the various scratches and scuffs really degrade the experience.
Has anyone any tips for sources of mint-condition (or very close to mint) vinyl?

 

[Robgo]

I would probably avoid vinyl unless the genre I was interested in had an overwhelming amount of artists that still produced vinyl records (underground metal, punk, hardcore etc) Very few bother because the cost to produce records is much higher than CD's. It's a very niche market and often vinyl is produced in very limited quantities.

I've seen some contemporary pop/mainstream artists who produce specialty vinyl albums. I wouldn't go that route personally. It's a huge waste of money like others have mentioned.